Device for positioning soles and shoes



Jan. 7, 1941. 0 Ls 2,227,458

DEVICE FOR POSITIONING SOLES AND SHOES Original Filed Sept. 6, 1938 Patented Jan. 7, 1941 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR POSITIONING SOLES AND SHOES Napoleon A. Monfils, Havel-hill, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N.

New Jersey J., a corporation of Original application September 6, 1938, Serial No.

228,469. 1940, Serial No. 323,151

Claims.

This invention relates to devices for use in positioning work pieces relatively to each other and is illustrated herein with reference to the positioning on a shoe bottom of an outsole which 5 extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, the present application being a division of my copending application Serial No. 223, i69 filed September 6, 1938, and covering Methods for use in the manufacture of shoes.

Outsoles of the type referred to are frequently attached to shoe bottoms by pyroxylin cement in a sole attaching press, the cement being first applied to the outsole and the overlasted margins of the shoe upper and being then allowed to dry. Just before the sole attaching pressure is applied, the cement is activated by a solvent to put it in condition for sticking the outsole to the shoe bottom. Since outsol'es of the type referred to do not overlap the entire heel seat portion of the shoe bottom, it is especially diflicult, particularly in attaching presses having no sole and shoe positioning mechanism thereon, to position the sole and shoe relatively .to each other in the press after the solvent has been applied.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for use in relatively positioning objects such as shoes and soles and establishing such positions so that they may be readily reestablished prior to the permanent attachment of the sclesto the shoe bottoms.

To the accomplishment of this object the invention provides, in accordance with one feature, an improved article of manufacture comprising a resilient member in the form of a hinge similar to a pair of sugar tongs and having legs thereon which carry oppositely extending means such as prongs for securing the legs respectively to work pieces between which the hinge member is adapted to be located, said hinge member also having means at its rearward portion for further securing it to one of said work pieces.

As herein illustrated, one leg of the hinge member is provided with at least one prong adapted to secure it to a. work piece such as a shoe bottom, and it has another prong or prongs thereon spaced from the first prong also adapted to secure said leg to the shoe bottom, thereby establishing the leg and hinge member in position on the shoe bottom and maintaining said leg against movement relatively thereto. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the other leg of the hinge member is provided with means for securing that leg to another work piece, such as an outsole to be attached to the Divided and this application March 9,

shoe bottom, said means being constructed and arranged to maintain the outsole against movement in its own plane relatively to the shoe bottom or, in other words, against lateral movement relatively to the shoe bottom. Preferably, and. as illustrated, the last-named means may comprise a plurality of prongs spaced from each other and arranged to hold the outsole against said lateral movement.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hinge member embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge member being utilized in connection with the cement attachment of a short outso-le to a shoe bottom.

The device embodying the invention is indicated generally in Fig. 1 by the numeral 4 and comprises a hinge fastening member similar to a pair of sugar tongs and consisting of a pair of forwardly projecting legs 6 and 8 the forward ends of which are enlarged and provided respectively with a plurality of sets of prongs It] and [2 which are spaced from each other widthw-ise v of the legs and are arranged to be pressed or driven into a plurality of work pieces such, for example, as an outsole A (Fig. 2) and the bottom of a shoe B between which the hinge member is adapted to be mounted before the outsole is attached to the shoe bottom. As shown in Fig. 2, the outsole A is a so-called short outsole which extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe.

The hinge fastening member 4 is preferably composed of thin, resilient material such as metal which is bent over upon itself to form [the legs of the hinge. Adjacent to its rearward end the hinge member is provided with another set of projections or prongs [4 whereby it may be readily secured to the heel seat portion of the shoe bottom, the prongs M, as shown, being punched or otherwise formed in the rearward end of the lower leg 8 of the hinge. Preferably and as illustrated, the prongs on the hinge member may be conveniently formed by stamping them out of the metal and turning them in the proper direction away from the legs of the hinge member. Moreover, the prongs of each set diverge slightly from each other to cause them to become bent or clinched in the material of the work pieces when they are driven into the same,

thereby securing the legs firmly to said work pieces.

In using the device the operator positions the hinge member 4 with the rear prongs i4 extending against the insole of the shoe B at its heel seat portion, the insole being designated by .the numeral 16. The overlasted marginal portions of the shoe upper will at this time have been coated with cement l8 such, for example, as pyroxylin as shown in Fig. 2, and the marginal portion of the attaching surface of the outsole will likewise have been coated with cement 20 which has been allowed to dry in the usual manner. After the operator has positioned the hinge member so that the legs 6 and 8 extend forwardly in overlapping relation to a metal shank piece 22 in the shoe bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, he presses or drives the rear prongs l4 into the insole, thereby securing the hinge to the shoe bottom. While this operation can, if desired, be performed manually with a suitable tool or driver, it may be conveniently performed with the aid of the machine disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 327,881, filed April 4, 1940, in my name. It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the forward prongs I2 on the lower leg 8 of the hinge member are spaced far enough apart so that they will not engage the shank piece 22 but will preferably be located in positions to engage the inner portions of the overlasted margin of the upper.

After the hinge member has been secured to the insole I6, as described above, the outsole A may be placed on the shoe bottom with the rear portion thereof overlying the forward ends of the legs 6 and 8 of the hinge member, The operator may then position the outsole properly with respect to the shoe bottom and press or drive the diverging sets of prongs I0 and I2 on the opposite legs 6 and 8 into the outsole and shoe bottom, respectively, thereby securing and maintaining the hinge member 4 against movement relatively to the shoe bottom and also establishing the relative positions of the outsole and shoe laterally and longitudinally while the sole and shoe are located in their proper relative positions. While the above operations may be carried out by hand, a convenient way of performing them is with the aid of the machine disclosed in my copending application hereinbefore referred to.

The operator may now raise the outsole away from the shoe bottom, as shown in Fig, 2, and, by a brush 24 or other suitable implement, apply a solvent to the cement on the attaching surface of the outsole and, if desired, to that on the overlasted margin of the shoe upper. As illustrated in Fig. 2, this operation may be readily accomplished with the aid of the hinge member 4 without losing the previously established positions of the sole and shoe relatively to each other. After the solvent has been applied the outsole A may be returned to its former position on the shoe bottom and the members mounted in a cement sole attaching press to attach the outsole permanently to the shoe bottom. In placing the outsole and shoe in the attaching press, the operator can conveniently assist in maintaining the forepart of the outsole in a proper position laterally of the shoe bottom by hand if that appears to be necessary.

The hinge member 4 will, of course, remain permanently'in the shoe bottom but, since the diverging sets of prongs ii), [2 and M are not long enough to extend completely through the outsole or insole but become clinched in the material thereof, the presence of the hinge member is no detriment to the finished shoe. While the hinge member 4 has been described herein in connection with the cement attachment of short outsoles to shoe bottoms, it should be understood that this member is not limited in its application or utility to such outsoles nor to the cement attachment of outsoles to shoe bottoms as distinguished from their attachment by other means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a single member bent upon itself to form legs of substantially equal length the ends of which are provided with prongs directed away from the adjacent faces of the legs and spaced laterally of the legs for securing said legs respectively to work pieces between which the legs are located, the one of said legs but not the other having near the bend prongs thereon for securing it to one of said work pieces.

2. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member of resilient material provided with legs of substantial length having enlarged outer ends, said ends having a plurality of prongs thereon adapted to secure said legs respectively to work pieces between which the legs are located, the opposite end of the hinge member also having prongs thereon for securing it to one of said work pieces.

3. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member of resilient material bent over to form a pair of legs the outer ends of which are enlarged, each of said ends being provided with a plurality of sets of prongs extending 'at substantial angles to the legs and adapted to secure said legs respectively to a pair of work pieces, the prongs on each leg extending away from the prongs on the other leg and the prongs of each set diverging somewhat from each other to cause them to become clinched when pressed into the work pieces, the rear portion of said hinge member also having a pair of diverging prongs thereon adapted to secure said portion of one of the Work pieces and. to become clinched in said work piece.

4. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member comprising a pair of integrally connected leg, prongs on one of said legs separated widthwise of the leg and adapted to secure the leg to a work piece, means on another portion of said leg also adapted to secure it to said work piece and together with said prongs to maintain said leg and work piece against movement relatively to each other, and means on the other leg of said hinge member adapted to secure said other leg to another work piece, said last-named means being constructed and arranged to maintain said other work piece against lateral movement relatively to said first-named work piece.

5. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member comprising a pair of resilient integrally connected legs, means on one portion of one of said member doubled upon itself to form a pair of legs, a pair of spaced prongs on one leg adapted to secure said leg to a work piece, and prongs on the other leg spaced laterally of the leg and adapted to secure said other leg to another work piece to maintain said other work piece in a predetermined lateral position relatively to said firstnamed work piece.

7. As an article of manufacture, a resilient member doubled on itself to form a pair of legs, a prong on an end portion of one of said legs adapted to secure said leg to a. work piece, another prong on said leg spaced lengthwise of the leg from the first-named prong and adapted to secure said leg to the same work piece, said prongs being constructed and arranged to hold said leg and said Work piece against movement relatively to each other, and a plurality of prongs on the other leg of said member spaced widthwise of said other leg and adapted to secure said other leg to another work piece, said work pieces when connected by said member being maintained. against relative movement in, the plane of their adjacent surfaces.

8. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member of resilient material bent double to form a pair of legs, means on the end of one of said legs adapted to secure it to a shoe bottom, means on said leg adjacent to the bend adapted to secure it to said shoe bottom and thereby maintain said leg against movement relatively to the shoe bottom, and prongs on the other leg adapted to secure said other leg to an outsole, said prongs being spaced apart Widthwise of said other leg.

9. As an article of manufacture, a resilient member bent double to form a pair of legs, a prong near the end of one of said legs adapted to secure said end to a shoe bottom, a prong on a portion of said leg near the bend of the member also adapted to secure said portion to the shoe bottom and together with the first-named prong to maintain said leg against movement relatively to the shoe bottom, and a plurality of prongs on the other leg of said member spaced laterally of said other leg and adapted to secure said other leg to the rear portion of an outsole to be attached to the shoe bottom, said member being constructed and arranged to maintain said outsole against movement in its own plane laterally of the shoe bottom, thereby establishing the position of the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom and to permit movement of the sole way from the shoe bottom for operations on the attaching face of the sole and on the shoe bottom.

10. As an article of manufacture, a hinge member comprising a pair of resilient legs, a plurality of sets of diverging prongs on the outer end of one of said legs adapted to secure said end to the bottom of a shoe and to become clinched therein, a set of diverging prongs on the inner end of said leg also adapted to secure said leg to the shoe bottom and become clinched therein, said prongs together with the first-named prongs being constructed and arranged to maintain said leg in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom, and a plurality of sets of diverging prongs on the outer end of the other leg of said hinge member adapted to secure said other leg to the rear portion of an outsole to be attached to the shoe bottom and to become clinched in said outsole, said last-named prongs being constructed and arranged to maintain said outsole against movement in its own plane relatively to the shoe bottom and thereby establish the position of the outsole with respect to the shoe bottom, said other leg permitting said outsole to be raised from and returned against the shoe bottom without losing its established position with respect thereto.

NAPOLEON A. MONFILS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,227,158. 1 January 7, 19in.

NAPQLEON A. MONFILS. It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, sec-- 0nd column, line LL5, claim 5, for "of one of" read -to one of-; line 1 8, claim 11., for the word "leg" read -legs--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of February, A. Do l9lilo Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

